Dance and ecstasy
by AdeleParker
Summary: With Loker it had been fun. With Reynolds it had been awkward. But dancing with Cal had been pure ecstasy. Post-episode Secret Santa


**Dance and ecstasy**

Dancing with Loker had been fun.

He had come to her, arched an eyebrow and handed out his hand for her to take. The slightest smile was dancing on his lips when he had said her name. She had smiled back at him, taken his hand and put the other on his shoulder. She had laughed when he had admitted to fantasizing about her sometimes, now that she wasn't married anymore. When he had added that Dr Lightman would probably kill him if he learnt that, she had smacked him lightly on the arm and shaken her head. But then her eyes had wandered behind Loker and crossed Cal's. She had smiled at him. He had simply nodded back, which had made her smile even more. No need to be an expert in micro-expressions to notice how annoyed he would get every time she'd get close, even so slightly, to a man. Or every time a man would start flirting with her. His reaction amused her. Flattered her as well. When Loker had called her name, she had turned her head towards him. His eyes had grown wider as they'd met hers. « Your pupils are dilated! » Arousal. Goddamn workplace. Her eyes had flickered briefly to where Cal was standing, near the buffet. And then back to Loker. « That's just a reflection of yours. » His eyes and his laugh had followed her as she had left him and made her way to the buffet, to get a glass of eggnog.

Dancing with Reynolds had been awkward.

Swinging on her heels back and forth while sipping her drink with a happy smile on her face, she had watched Cal dancing with his daughter, a content look on his face and noticed Reynolds, back against a wall, alone after Torres had reluctantly gone to dance with Loker. She had joined him and mimicked his position. After a mundane conversation, she had nudged him in the ribs and invited him to dance. After putting her now empty glass on the buffet, she had taken his hand in hers and placed his other in the small of her back. He had hesitantly complimented her on her dress, which had made her chuckle. « God you really are awful are small talk. » He had frowned, but his lips had twitched in the smallest of smile. « And I thought you were the nice one here. » - « You're right. Thanks. » She would often wonder if Ben hadn't a slight crush on her. The thought would make her smile. And at that moment, he had been looking so much like a boy in a well-built adult body, looking all hesitant and awkward and sweet. She had actually felt pretty relieved when Cal _Oi-ed_ her. She had excused herself with a typical warm Gillian smile.

But dancing with Cal had been pure ecstasy.

She had made her way to him, not bothering to hide her smile from him. « Christmas really does make you sickeningly happy, yeah, Foster? ». She had sighed and turned her back on him. He had stopped her from going back to Reynolds by catching her by the elbow and brought her closer to him. « Come on, love. You know you'd much rather dance with me. » - « Aren't you smug. » - « Well I did just survive Afghanistan. » - « Don't joke about that Cal. » He had seen the genuine hurt in her eyes, the fear of losing him. The light banter had suddenly become more serious. She had stroked the fabric of his shirt before simply laying a hand above his heart, soothed by the feeling of its beating. « I'm sorry, love. » She had briefly looked up but then she dimmed her head, hiding her flow of emotions and her tearful eyes from him. « I was so scared Cal. » He had put his hand on hers and bent his fingers under her palm. He'd placed his other hand in the small of her back and held her close to him, their chest only separated by their linked hands. She had wrapped her free arm around his neck, resting her head against her elbow and closing her eyes. « I thought I'd lost you. » Not caring about the world, about their employees and friends celebrating around them, they had just held each other in a smothering but so comfortable embrace.

When she opened her eyes the next day, it took her a minute to reconnect with her surroundings. Lying on her middle, she turned her head to the other side of the bed. She smiled and lazily lifted her head on her palm, simply content with watching him sleep peacefully, no worries troubling her happiness. She didn't care what Emily would think at breakfast. Because she knew he didn't care either. And because they both knew she would very likely be more than okay with it. She cared even less about what Zoe wound think when picking Emily up in the morning. Well, she did care a little. As much of a good girl she was, there just was something pleasant about not making Zoe happy. She really only cared about him for now. Reaching up to stroke his hair, she gasped in surprise when he took her hand and held it against his bare chest. He opened one eye, then the other, and finally looked at her with both eyes open. « Morning, love. »

Yes indeed. Dancing with Cal had been pure ecstasy…

* * *

First of all, thank you for reading it til the end. ;) I just want to say that English is not my first language, since I'm french. I've written plenty in french but this is actually my first fic in English. And my first LTM fic as a matter of fact. Anyway, I really do apologize for the likely remaining mistakes. Please feel free to point them out. ;) And if anyone is willing to beta other potential stories, PM me. ;)

Secundo, or deuxièmement in my native tongue :) I didn't intend at first to write about the morning after. Originally it ended with them helding each other at the Christmas party. And then i thought about making it a multiple chapters story. But i dunno. I kinda like it like that too. ^^ Just tell me what you think of it.

So now that the read part is done, please review. :)


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